DC releases controversial comics

DC Comics is no stranger to controversy and this year seems to be a benchmark for the venerable publisher on that score. The first issue in its much-vaunted Before Watchmen event and the second issue of Earth 2 were released on the same day, the latter noteworthy for its outing of a gay superhero and the former for its continuation of one of the most successful comic series ever — without its creator.

“Earth 2, DC’s newest reboot of their classic characters, arrives amid a furor of publicity over the sexuality of one of its primary characters, Alan Scott, formerly the Golden Age Green Lantern,” reports Ed Katschke, head-honcho of Monarch Cards & Comics. “For those of you not well-versed in DC Comics lore, all this means is that the character who originally wore the mantle of Green Lantern has now been given a decidedly lavender hue. Writer James Robinson approaches the whole issue in a surprisingly nonchalant manner by simply introducing Scott’s boyfriend with little fanfare within the story itself. Of more interest to comic fans should be the absolutely gorgeous artwork courtesy of Nicola Scott as well as the clever rethinking of Earth 2’s Flash origin and the dynamic introduction of a new Hawkgirl. Green Lantern may have gotten the big romantic moment in this issue, but it’s the Flash action sequences that will keep your attention.

“And after all of the teeth-grinding and hair-pulling over DC’s decision to greenlight a new wave of miniseries featuring the characters who originally starred in writer Alan Moore’s seminal ’80s comic series, Watchmen, we finally have the opportunity to actually read the new work. Before Watchmen: Minutemen No. 1 arrives courtesy of writer-artist Darwyn Cooke and I must admit that it wasn’t half-bad. Cooke, a veteran animator and award-winning cartoonist, was a wise choice to pick up the tattered threads of Moore’s legacy and he does an admirable job of not only capturing the mood of the original comic, but also of seamlessly melding his own storytelling style with an approximation of Moore’s style. I thought the actual plot was a bit light and Cooke has to do a little dance around scenes and events already established by the original miniseries, but overall he delivers a fairly entertaining read. It certainly makes me look forward to the rest of the Before Watchmen titles that are due to debut over the rest of the summer.”